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Growth in Power Generation

Electricity generation since the beginning of the current Iranian year (March 21, 2014) has increased 5.67 percent compared to the same period last year, the energy ministry’s public relations office reported Sunday.

Over 224,795 gigawatt hours of electricity was produced across the country in that period, Tasnim news agency reported. Thermal power stations’ contribution to this amount was 212,784 GWh while hydroelectric power plants recorded slightly more than 12,000 GWh of electricity generation in the said period. The output of thermal power stations shows 6 percent increase, but electricity generation from hydroelectric units has only edged up 0.02 percent, respectively, in comparison with their power generation figures from last year.

Iran has constructed power plants twice as many as the average number of power plants constructed in the world during the past decade. The power generation capacity in Iran has grown by 7 percent annually during the past 10 years.

Iran seeks to become a major regional exporter of electricity and has attracted more than $1.1 billion in investments for the construction of three new power plants.

Given its strategic geographical position, capabilities in manufacturing power plants and suitable grounds for electricity exchange with the neighboring countries, Iran plans to turn into the region’s energy hub, an official announced. Earlier, deputy energy minister, Alireza Daemi, said the government aims to turn Iran into the region’s main energy hub.

Iran’s southern neighboring countries are located in a tropical area while the northern neighbors experience freezing winters, sometimes polar climates, the official explained. “This gives us the opportunity to meet energy demands of neighbors both in the summer and winter.”

“Iran can play an important role in supplying the region’s need for electric power,” Daemi stated. Accordingly, grounds have been prepared for energy exchange with all countries that share land border with Iran, while a series of plans have been also devised to establish such connection with the neighbors south of the Persian Gulf that share water borders with Iran, he added.